Easy, Southern Grape Salad is full of plump, juicy grapes, covered in a tangy dressing made with cream cheese, and sour cream and topped with crunchy roasted pecans and brown sugar.
Wash the grapes in a colander under cold water and spread them out on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Remove any bruised or damaged grapes.
Add the softened cream cheese to another bowl and whip with an electric mixer until the cream cheese is smooth and creamy with no lumps. Add the sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla and mix until everything is combined.
Spoon the cream cheese-sour cream mixture over the grapes and toss gently until they are coated.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and toasted pecans evenly over the top of the grape salad.
Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least one hour or until you are ready to serve it.
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Notes
This recipe, as written, makes twelve servings. Feel free to scale it up or down to suit your needs.
Occasionally, grapes, especially green ones, are a bit tart. If that's the case with your grapes, feel free to add a tablespoon or so more granulated sugar.
If your grapes are large, cut them in half or quarters.
To soften the cream cheese, unwrap it, and place it in a microwave-safe container—microwave for about 30 seconds.
This salad can be made twenty-four hours ahead of time and is even better on the second day.
To roast pecan halves, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 350-degree F. oven for 10-12 minutes. If in pieces, the pecans will cook faster, so only roast them for six to eight minutes. Check often and stir to make sure they don't burn. I usually roast one pound of pecans at a time and then store them in the freezer until I need them.
Since you only need a small number of pecans, you can also toast them in the microwave. To do this, place them in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave in one-minute intervals until they are browned and toasty, which takes four to six minutes.